While I'm Waiting

I named my blog Accepting Change for a reason. I don't like change. There's something about things staying the same, in the familiar, even when those things aren't the best. There's a saying in Spanish, Mejor es malo conocido que bueno por conocer. Translation: Better an evil I know than something good I don't. I grew up with this mentality and it's been a difficult one to break. I guess that's why God brings me to these places of change. It teaches me to trust the unknown to Him.

I'm not gonna lie, there have been some sad moments, some anxious moments, some boring moments... Sadness because I was so excited whenever we first moved into our little coach house, happy as we started to get acclimated to our new environment, overjoyed at being in such a nice place and so close to my daughter, only to have everything fall to pieces through no fault of my own. I read the nine page police report the officer gave me a week before we moved out. It was then I realized my neighbor had called the police on me within a few days of us moving in. My son-in-law's parents had a media cabinet of mine that hadn't fit into the Pod container, and they were dropping it off. Unbeknownst to us, they parked the neighbor's driveway. Rather than knock on our door and ask that we move the car, he called the police! I could not believe it. The police never came because my son-in-law noticed where his parents had parked and he told them to move the car right away. He noticed the man on the phone but nothing was said. From that moment this neighbor decided he didn't like me, and his dislike turned to hate. All because of a meaningless mistake.

I didn't think about anxiety whenever I left my house. I figured, once I'm gone everything will go back to normal. Then I heard my daughter's neighbors. My daughter and son-in-law live in a villa that is attached to another villa on one side. Normally it's very quiet; the folks next door leave for work and there isn't a sound from them the entire day. Even at night they're fairly quiet, but I can hear the television set in the room adjacent to mine. A few nights ago they were in the bedroom watching a TV show that was obviously very funny because I could hear laughter. It was after 10:00 pm and I was in bed. Truth be told, it wasn't that loud. Under normal circumstances I could have easily fallen asleep. Instead, I was wide awake till after midnight because every sound seemed louder than it actually was. It was clear to me that the damage done by my neighbor's harassment is still fresh in my mind. 

Then there's the boredom aspect. This is my daughter's house. She's in charge. I hate sitting around and not doing anything, so I started cleaning up for her. She was not too happy. I think she took my helping as criticism of her cleaning abilities. That, of course, was never my intention. She takes very good care of her home, and my only desire was to give her a hand to show my gratitude for them taking us in. My son-in-law, bless his heart, loves that I clean up so he doesn't have to, LOL. But my daughter made it clear that she wanted me to stop. I cried at the thought that I'm becoming a burden to my kids. My daughter came over the next day and said she understood that I'm bored, so she set some parameters. It allows me to help but only in certain areas. It's better than nothing. This week my daughter and son-in-law are at Disney, since it's spring break. I get to stay home with my grand-dog taking care of him and the house. I dream of all the things I want to do in my new home, knowing it will be at least a month before we're there. 

What do I do in the meantime? I pray for those around me. I pray for my kids, my friends, the sellers of what will be my new home, the buyer of my previous home, even my neighbor. I make lists (because I love lists) and I make sure I've taken care of all the little details of moving, like canceling services I'm not using. The sellers are taking their refrigerator and their washer and dryer, so I've been looking at new appliances. I'll more than likely have to purchase them before I move, since a lot of items are on backorder. I will also need a garage door opener because they never put one in. Then there's the outdoor stuff that I got rid of whenever I moved out of my house: lawn mower, weed eater, pressure washer, those sorts of things. I'm also considering whether or not I'm going to paint. The walls throughout the entire house are gray. My son loves it; I'm not a fan. Not that there's anything wrong with gray, but I like warm colors. All my furniture and decor looks best in creamy whites and beiges, not grays. I'll see how everything looks once it's in the house, then I'll decide. I've painted many times before, so it's not something I shy away from. On the contrary, I love me a project - it keeps me busy, and I need the exercise!

Last Thursday I noticed schools were letting out early. Whenever I looked at the school calendar, I saw that spring break was starting the next day. That was just five days after I closed on the sale of my home. I realized that God had planned it so I would be gone before spring break started, and I praised Him because I knew if I'd been in the house while school was out, the neighbor would be hounding me daily. It made the waiting a whole lot easier. 

Waiting is hard, y'all. I can sit here and dwell on the waiting, or I can find peace in being thankful. I choose gratitude.

Recipe Time: Chocolate Pudding Pie

Happy Thanksgiving y'all! It's the big day, and everyone is feeling thankful despite 2020 and all its mishaps. Many are having smaller than usual Thanksgiving Day festivities and keeping it simple. I'm glad; hopefully we'll stop focusing on football and Black Friday and start focusing on thankfulness and family. 

I want to share a quick and easy crowd pleasing dessert: Chocolate Pudding Pie. I can't take credit for this one; it's off the book Quick Fixes From Brand Name Mixes. It's also a recipe that's probably all over Pinterest. Some call it pudding pie; this book calls it Creamy Chocolate Pie. Regardless of the name, it takes just a few minutes to put together and stick in the fridge, and on a day like today where there's so much going on, simple is often the best way to go.

To make this pie you will need:

1 3/4 cups cold milk (I use Lactaid 2% but any milk will do)

2 pkgs. chocolate or chocolate fudge pudding mix, the 4 serving size

1 tub Cool Whip (or in my case, Great Value whipped topping. It's all the same)

1 pie crust - graham cracker or chocolate flavored, your choice

That's all you need. You might even have these things in your cupboard, but if you don't they're easy to find in your grocery store. Let's put it together.

Step 1: Pour your milk into a large mixing bowl.

Add your pudding mixes and beat with a wire whisk. You can use your mixer if you prefer, but I didn't want to dirty more than I had to.

Get it as smooth as you can, but keep in mind it's gonna be thick.

Fold in the whole tub of Cool Whip or whatever whipped topping you're using. If you have the time you can make some homemade, but this is supposed to be quick and easy.

It'll look kind of like a chocolate mousse whenever you're done. Avoid the temptation to eat it straight out of the bowl.

Instead, as a special treat (and because it's Thanksgiving) get yourself an Oreo pie crust. I found this one at Walmart for just $2.00. Again, you can make your own, but why?

Spoon the filling into the pie crust and smooth it out. I like to put a dollop of the filling right in the middle as a decoration, but you can line the top with Oreo pieces, chocolate chips, Reese's Pieces, anything you like. Once again, keeping it simple here. Once you're done, put it in the fridge to set.

Keep in mind that this pie needs to be refrigerated for at least 4 hours to properly set. Overnight is best. It took me all of 10 minutes to grab all the ingredients, make the filling, put it all together, and clean up. And what did it cost? Like I said, the pie crust was $2.00. The Jello pudding boxes were $.98 each, and the whipped topping was $.82. I already had the milk on hand, so I spent a grand total of $4.78 to make the boys in my family very happy. And they are worth every penny and then some. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

What's Been Going On

It's amazing what can happen in just a couple of weeks.  Life can take some crazy turns.  Thankfully ours have been pretty positive!

One of the teachers at the tutoring center recently got a job at a Christian school teaching high school math.  I was sad to hear she was leaving but happy for her new job, especially since she's getting married in October.  Little did I know how her new job would impact my family!

My daughter A has been under her father's health insurance ever since I stopped working.  She turns 26 the end of this year, which means she will no longer be covered under his insurance.  Her father has been hounding her ever since her birthday back in December, telling her she needs to get health insurance before her birthday.  She has looking, but health insurance is expensive, especially for a young single woman.  For those who think that government insurance is the answer, think again.  Even Obamacare is costly.  Since she was working two part-time jobs and neither one offered health benefits, she knew she would have to come up with a way to get affordable healthcare, and her options weren't very promising.

Her dad called her about a month ago asking once again if she had found insurance yet.  When she told him she hadn't, he told her not to worry about it, he had found a way to keep her on his insurance and she'd only have to pay him $100 a month.  Now, if I know anything about this man, it's that he can't resist a scam.  I didn't know what he was up to, but I did know one thing for sure: whatever it was, it was illegal.  He doesn't care; as far as he's concerned, it's not illegal unless you get caught.  Well, that was NOT what I wanted for my daughter.  Of course, with J, it's his way and that's that.  But he doesn't know the power of my God!  My daughter and I began to pray that God would provide her with insurance that would be more affordable than what J was insisting on offering.  Seems impossible?  Ha, nothing is impossible for our God!

A week after we started praying, I got home from grocery shopping to find my daughter extremely excited.  It turned out that the girl who was leaving had contacted her.  The school where she was going to start working needed an English teacher, someone with a degree in English, and they needed someone right away.  She immediately thought of A and asked if she was interested.  The school would take care of getting her certification.  The part that had her most excited?  The job would pay her double what both her part-time jobs paid, and she would receive 100% paid health benefits!!  She could hardly contain her excitement!  She was happy and nervous at the same time, and asked me what she should do.  I said hey, go for it!  God is sending you this opportunity, you'd best take it!  She interviewed that same day, and they offered her the job on the spot.  Turns out they'd been needing someone since the school year had finished, and no one - absolutely no one - had applied for the position.  She was the first person to apply, and school was going to start in one week.  The thought of it made her even more nervous, and she said she needed to pray about it.  She spoke to her pastor, her friends, and of course mom.  We looked into the school and the church.  This church has been instrumental in planting many of the churches in South Florida, and their ministry is extensive.  All her friends (many of them teachers themselves) told her they'd be there with help and advise.  We all agreed, this wasn't a coincidence, it was a God-incident.  So she accepted, got her training and certification, and this week started teaching 9th and 11th grade English (including an AP class) along with middle school journalism.  She is the happiest she's been in ages!  Everything has fallen into place so perfectly, that we know it has to be the hand of our ever faithful God!  We are so thankful for this new step in her life!

Of course my bosses weren't as happy as she was.  They were left without two teachers for the fall session which starts next Monday.  But once again, God has provided.  We have three new teachers coming in that got trained this week.  It was rough for my daughter, because she doesn't like to disappoint, but the opportunity was too great to pass up.  It's been hectic with her church job too, but she's such a trouper.  She's getting the work done, and getting all her school assignments done as well (she's working towards getting certified as a pastoral counselor).  God is blessing her hard work, and I can't wait to see what else He has in store for my little girl!

As for me, I've been on an organization kick - or more like a frenzy ;-).  It started in the master bedroom, moved into the kitchen where I've been organizing the pantry and cupboards, and now it has continued into the bathrooms.  I've been throwing out anything that is expired (you'd be surprised what you find hiding in a medicine cabinet) or that doesn't get used, and putting things away properly.  I've shopped at Walmart, Target, Dollar Tree and Amazon for organization tools and containers.  I've also done some deep cleaning before school starts up again, which is on the 24th.  I'm off from work this week (yay!) so I've been able to get loads of stuff done.  I'm very much a type A personality, and having everything streamlined and organized makes me feel relaxed.  I'm loving it!

I took my youngest son E for allergy testing.  Not only were his allergies getting out of control, his eczema was spreading.  Both his arms were covered, his eyes were dry and irritated, and below his chin it was starting up.  It seemed the medicines the dermatologist had ordered weren't enough, so I had to take the next step.  He had to get off his maintenance medicines for 5 days so the tests could be accurate.  It was the most miserable 5 days of his life!  He literally needed a trash can next to him to drop all the tissues he was using because he was sneezing so much.  When we finally got to the doctor's office for the tests, they got delayed because E was having a mild asthma attack.  See, the day before we'd gone to see Hillsong United in concert, and it was held outdoors in a park.  The outdoors are my son's enemies, unfortunately.  He was coughing but he wasn't wheezing, at least not heavily, so I hadn't detected it, but the doctor noticed right away.  Once he was breathing normally, the doctor proceeded with the tests.  Thankfully my son has no food allergies.  He does, however, have a ton of other allergies, all environmental.  Trees, grass, mold, plants...let's just say, he's allergic to Florida.  The doctor put him on prednisone and gave him an inhaler, along with eye drops, nose drops, and instructions for taking care of the eczema.  He also suggested I get an air purifier, which I ordered the very next day.  I'm happy to report that his eczema is almost completely gone thanks to the creams he's using (Vanicream is the best, I highly recommend it), and I haven't heard him sneeze in days.  Oh, thank You Jesus!

We found out he's also allergic to pet dander, particularly dogs and cats.  This has created a dilemma for us, because we can't get rid of Molly.  Not only because we love her, but because she has cancer, and she's dying.  The second tumor on her belly has started to grow, and we don't think she has very much longer to live.  We know no one will take her in her condition, and if we take her to the humane society they'll put her down.  We've decided to keep her until the inevitable, which J is against (he's wanted us to get rid of Molly since day one), but honestly I don't believe we will have her for much longer.  It breaks our hearts to even think about it.

Sorry to end on a sad note (I didn't realize it till I looked back) but life is like that; it has its ups and downs.  We thank God for the good, and we thank Him for the not-so-good.  In all things we praise our God and Father and trust in His decisions.  Hope you do too.

Oops, I did it again...

I know, I said I was going to be more consistent with my blogging, and that ended after, what, a couple of posts?  I have thought over and over about things I want to share on my blog, but then I get so busy doing, well, life, and before I know it I'm heading off to bed thinking, "Tomorrow is another day."  So I decided that this month, December, I would do a daily journal to get my blog caught up on everything that's been happening and what my days look like.  This should be interesting.

I should mention now, before I go any further, that this year I began homeschooling my youngest son E.  It has been an enormous blessing to be able to spend this time with him and watch him learn and prosper.  His grades have improved tremendously; he currently has a B+ in Algebra and straight A's in all his other classes.  We are doing Florida Virtual School which is free for Florida residents.  The curriculum is better than what he was learning in class in my opinion, and he can go as fast or as slow as he wants.  He has a schedule of course, but the teachers are much more flexible which is great when dealing with a kid who has mild to moderate dyslexia.  It means more work for me, obviously, but it is so worth it to see him become more confident in himself and actually enjoy learning for a change.

So, my day began like most Mondays.  E was off all last week; it was a catch-up week for virtual school, so if your assignments were up-to-date (which his were), it was a full vacation week (which we both loved).  School started up again this morning, and I got up early to make breakfast and see what his schedule looked like.  I knew he had one online class to attend which was algebra, but I hadn't looked at anything else all week.  We were busy with Thanksgiving, then decorating for Christmas, so school landed on the back burner.  I'd put some sausages to fry on the stove, and biscuits and a hash brown in the toaster oven.  It was 8:30, and my oldest son R had just left for work.  I was tidying up in the living room, when I heard a loud crashing sound.  It sounded like someone's garage door slamming onto the ground.  I looked out the window but saw nothing; then I walked into the kitchen and noticed the stove and microwave were turned off.  So were the Christmas tree lights.  That's when it hit me:  the sound I heard was a transformer.  I immediately called the power company to report it.  They said they'd call back, and they did.  Said it was a transformer (ha! I was right) and that a repair crew was being dispatched to repair it.  We should have power back by 12:30.  Great.  School for us typically starts at 9 am.  That wasn't happening.  But it wasn't too bad; he would just start school a little later.  We could handle that.

I was a bit bummed, though, because I knew today was Beauty Rush day.  I've begun wearing Bare Minerals makeup because as I've gotten older I've noticed changes in my skin, such as more redness and oily/dry spots.  My daughter also has skin issues (roseacea and such), so I wanted makeup that is as natural as possible.  We both fell in love with Bare Minerals and have been using it for the past month or so.  Beauty Rush is Bare Escentuals big online sale that lasts 12 hours (for those who don't know, Bare Escentuals is the company that makes Bare Minerals).  It was starting at noon, which meant I'd be late getting to the sale, but only by a half hour.  I should be good, right?

At about 10:30 we heard truck sounds outside, and sure enough it was the power company.  Awesome!  They were already at work and we would be up and running before the 12:30 deadline we'd been given.  About a half hour later we heard the trucks drive away, but we had no power.  Then I got a call from the power company; it was going to take longer than we'd originally been told.  We'd have power back on around 1:45 pm.  Okay, I figured, a little later than anticipated but hey, we'd already waited this long.  I texted my daughter at work and asked her to bring home some pizzas, as it looked like I wouldn't be making lunch anytime soon.

It was 1:15 pm and we were still in the dark.  Praise God it was a nice day, low 70's and breezy, otherwise we would have baked in the heat.  I called the power company again.  This time I was told the damage was more severe than they'd thought, and a special crew needed to be sent out to make the repairs.  Now we were looking at 5 pm before power would come back.  I was so frustrated!  At 2:30 I watched out the window as the power company came with a crane to remove the burned out transformer and install the new one.  It took 3 hours to get all the work done, so basically we were without power for 9 hours.  Let me just say, I have a new appreciation for electricity.  We had no way to cook; we couldn't open the fridge very often because we didn't want all the cold air to escape; no electricity meant no router and no internet; no television, radio, DVD's, video games... yeah, we depend on electricity a lot.

As soon as the power came back on, I jumped on my phone to see if there was anything good left on the Beauty Rush sale.  Of course, there wasn't.  All the good stuff got snatched up.  I guess God didn't want me spending money on more makeup this month.  I was kind of bummed, but not overly upset.  Which is a big improvement for me.

E got to do a couple of hours of schoolwork once the power came back on.  He completed his music and PE class and, because his live lessons are recorded, was able to watch his algebra class.  Tomorrow will be a busy day of catching up for him.

So that was my Monday.  What started out as a regular day turned into somewhat of an adventure.  God does that to us sometimes.  He changes things around to teach us valuable lessons.  Today's lesson was on patience, and being thankful for the blessing of electricity.  Wonder what He plans to teach me tomorrow?  Can't wait to find out!

Move It Mondays

Happy Monday before Thanksgiving!  It's a week of thankfulness - what are you thankful for?  Today I'm thankful that both my older children will be off from work on Thanksgiving Day, so they can spend it relaxing at home with food and fun!  There are no 3 people in the world I'd rather spend my Thanksgiving Day with.

So for today, I've started getting the house ready.  I cleaned both bathrooms, vacuumed but haven't mopped yet because I paused to give Molly a bath.  She'd been digging in the backyard and had gotten quite filthy, but now she's as pretty as a peach.  Her bedding is in the washer, too.  I washed towels today, and tomorrow I'll be washing the people bedding ;).

In the kitchen I've got a pot roast in the crock pot and rice in the rice cooker.  The pot roast is ready; I put it in last night and it was done this morning.  I made it the easy way - potatoes, carrots, and Lipton Beefy Onion soup mix.  No muss and no fuss.  It allows me to get more things done around the house if I don't have to worry about cooking.  I moved the turkey from the freezer to the fridge to start the defrosting process.  I brine our turkey a la Alton Brown, and that will happen Wednesday night, so the turkey needs to start defrosting already.

I organized the presents in my closet last night.  Honestly, I just look for stuff in the stores, and when I find a good bargain or something I know my kids will particularly love, I go ahead and buy it, bring it home and wrap it right away.  Then I stash it all in the closet where I forget at least half of what I've bought, LOL!  There are 6 presents for my son R, 6 for my daughter A, and now 11 for my youngest son E (my daughter got him his present last night and she wrapped it up & put it with the others).  I've also got some books ordered for him from Amazon.  I think I've done pretty well this year.  I've purchased all the gifts without using the credit card so I won't have any balances to cry about for months on end.  There's a nice amount of presents and they're all paid for - yay me!  I made a promise to the Lord that I would do all my shopping without getting into debt, and I intend to keep my word.

It's noon, which means it's lunch time, which is a good thing because I'm starved!  Have a wonderful and thankful Monday.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today, September 11, 2012...

Outside my window...it's sunny now, but I see some grey clouds peeking in the distance.  We're expecting rain again this afternoon.

I am thinking...of 9/11, and what it means to our country.  Just writing the date on my post brings a heaviness to my heart as I remember that fateful day.

I am thankful for...my life, my health, my family, my home.  So much to be thankful for.

I am going...to finish making lunch/dinner before I pick up my son from school.

I am wearing...a BarlowGirl t-shirt, jean capris and flip-flops.  It's 89 degrees out but with the high heat index it feels like 96 degrees.  The humidity is only 59% right now but that'll change soon enough.

I am noticing...the wind picking up.  I'm sure the rain won't be long in coming.

In the kitchen...I've got a meatloaf in the oven, potatoes on the stove waiting to be mashed, and I'll be getting some green beans warmed up soon.

I am creating...a Christmas stash.  The first present has been purchased and is already wrapped.

I am reading...Knowing the Truth About Jesus the Messiah.  I haven't got much left to read so I'll be looking for something new soon.  The book I mentioned is an ebook that is free on Barnes and Noble.  I recommend it.

I am hoping...the rain lets up while I'm picking my son up from school.  He didn't want to take his umbrella with him.

I am looking forward to...that meatloaf.  It smells delicious!

I am hearing...my daughter on the phone.  She's calling folks who've signed up to volunteer at church.

Around the house...I vacuumed up lots of dog hair this morning, and dusted, so the house is looking good.

A favorite quote of the day... "We are the Bibles the world is reading; We are the creeds the world is needing; We are the sermons the world is heeding." - Billy Graham.

One of my favorite things...watching our dog Molly take a nap.  She looks so comfy!

A few plans for the rest of the week...tomorrow is my son's school open house.  We get to meet the teachers and find out what the curriculum will consist of this year.  It's my turn to bring breakfast to our Sunday school class this week, so I'm thinking whether to buy or bake.

Wanna join in the fun?  Visit Peggy at the Simple Woman's Daybook.  God bless.

Move It Mondays

Good morning to all, and Happy Monday!  Oh, I know there are some out there who make a face at that statement, who think the words "Monday" and "happy" don't go together in a sentence.  People who are always saying how much they dread Mondays.  Let me ask you this:  Would it have been better if you hadn't woken up this morning?  What if Sunday had been the last day of your life?  Not a very nice proposition, is it?  I say we celebrate Monday, and be thankful God has given us a new day!  And if that doesn't work for you, look on the bright side:  tomorrow is Tuesday!

It's a bright, sunshine filled morning; there's sausages frying on the stove, biscuits baking in the oven, coffee brewing in the coffee pot and towels being washed in the washing machine.  My, but I sure do depend on my appliances!  Can you imagine 100 years ago, women were waking up much earlier than I did (7am) to get the fire going for breakfast and to get water from the local stream or canal to wash clothes?!  There was so much work that had to be done just to get a simple meal, yet life was lived at a slower pace.  Today we want stuff fast, instant everything, and we don't stop to appreciate life because it's zipping by us and we don't even see it.  Something to think about today.  Stop for a minute and admire a cloud; watch children play; don't just turn on your MP3 player, sing along with it.  Life is short; experience it fully.

We got tons of rain yesterday - I mean a whole lot!  We went to church in the morning and the sun was shining, and by the time service was done it was pouring, there was lightning and thunder and winds, the whole nine yards!  It called for an indoor day, and we stayed and relaxed after a morning of fellowship and worship.  Speaking of worship, my daughter sang and played guitar again, and she sounded wonderful.  Makes this mama so happy to hear my little girl worshiping the Lord!

I'm hoping the rains hold off this morning, at least long enough to give Molly a bath.  Molly's a big dog who doesn't like getting wet, so bathing her inside the house is out of the question.  If it's raining then getting her bath outside will be impossible too, so I'm praying God will give me a window of dryness after breakfast!

I read a great devotion this morning, about giving God the glory for the good in our lives.  It's easy to think that our achievements are a result of our own doing, but it's God who prompts, prevents, provides and protects.  Thank You Lord for Your blessings and the amazing life You've given me.  I have so much to be thankful for!

Plans for today include bowling - I got a coupon for $5 off per person for games/shoes, so for the 4 of us that's $20 off which is a good deal.  Before that though, it's Molly's bath and vacuuming, plus finishing up the load of laundry.  A productive and fun day, that's what this Monday is!  I hope your Monday is just as great!  God bless.

Thursday Thoughts (On Friday)

This is a post I usually do on Thursdays, but I was busy preparing our Thanksgiving day feast so I decided I'd leave my random thoughts for today.

*Yesterday was one of the best Thanksgivings ever!  Certainly the most relaxed one I can remember.  It was just me and my 3 children.  We had turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, salad, lots of gravy, and crescent rolls.  It may seem like a lot, but it was probably about half the amount of food I usually make.

*Since my son works in a grocery store, our turkey was really cheap.  All the employees got a $5.00 off coupon, so our 12 lb. turkey only cost $2.61.  Too bad it isn't that cheap all year long!

*I brined our turkey as in other years, but for some reason it was juicier and tastier than ever.

*Thanksgiving is usually a very hectic time for me.  We have about 20 people over, and I do most of the cooking.  I also have to get the house ready, move furniture, set up additional tables and seating, clean every nook and cranny...it takes days to get ready for, and by the time I sit down to eat I'm exhausted.

*This year it was just the four of us.  The only thing I did ahead of time was brine the turkey and bake a cake.  Everything else was prepared at a leisurely pace, and we sat down to eat at about 3:00pm.  The house was clean but not perfectly neat, yet that was okay.  We got up for seconds (or in the case of my son R, thirds) and talked and laughed and watched Lemonade Mouth on TV.  Then we crashed on the sofa.  It was awesome.

*We took our dog Molly for a walk around the pond behind my kid's apartment building.  The grounds here are really beautiful and well kept.  E and I were thrilled to see big fish in the pond, then we saw a family of turtles!  Big ones too, at least a couple of them were about 2 feet long.  They came up to the edge and swam around.  It was so neat!  There were cranes too, and we enjoyed seeing God's creation up close.

*My youngest son E found his older brother's costume bin.  R gets dressed up for Halloween since he works at the store.  He's been Batman, Robin, and Dr. Wylie (from the Megaman video game).  E started dressing up in his brother's costumes and had us rolling on the floor with his antics!  He is such a funny little kid. He had a blast too, watching our reactions.

*Today's plans are simple.  We're gonna go see the new Muppet Movie at a local theater at about noon, since R has to go in to work at 3:00.  After that we're gonna hang out at the apartment.

*Tomorrow's plans are even better.  We have tickets to go to Disney's Magic Kingdom to enjoy the Christmas decorations there!  My two youngest kids and myself will be having an early birthday celebration since our birthdays are all in December.  I am so excited!  I love Disney, and I love Christmas.  The two together is like having cake and pie on the same plate!!

So much to continue being thankful for.  Thank You Jesus, for the life You've given me.  It's not perfect; there are trials and turmoil and disappointments along the way, but there is also joy in the knowledge that You are with me and have blessed me beyond measure.  God is good, all the time!

What I'm Thankful For

A sweet friend of mine from church has been doing a daily post on Facebook on what she's thankful for using every letter of the alphabet.  I thought it was a great idea, but she got started at the beginning of the month and I was away.  I've entered a few thankful thoughts on her Facebook page but I thought I'd do something similar here.  Ya'll can do it as well if you have time, or just meditate on what you're thankful for today.  I feel like thankfulness makes our day much more pleasant.


A = my sweet daughter A.Y.
B = the BEAUTY of creation
C = CHRIST
D = His DEATH on the cross
E = the gift of ETERNAL life, and my son E.N.
F = God's FAITHFULNESS
G = GRACE
H = HEAVEN - worth looking forward to!
I = He is the great I AM
J = JESUS
K = KINDNESS He shows me everyday
L = LOVE - that's what it's all about
M = the MIRACLES He's performed in my life
N = NATIVITY - the true meaning of Christmas
O = my God who is OMNISCIENT, OMNIPOTENT and OMNI-PRESENT
P = the PEACE that surpasses all understanding
Q = the QUIET, still voice of God
R = my oldest son R.A.
S = His STRENGTH is made perfect in my weakness
T = THANKSGIVING, and TURKEYS
U = the UNITED States of America, and UNCONDITIONAL love
V = VACATION time in Central Florida!
W = WHERE would I be without Jesus?!
X = the eXtraordinary women He's put in my life 
Y = the YUMMY food we get to eat all year, not just on Thanksgiving day
Z = ZION, where I will one day be with the Lord


May your Thanksgiving Day be filled with gratitude for all the blessings in your lives.

Thankful Thursdays

It's Thursday, and I hope you have time to read because I've got plenty to be thankful for!

Let me start with the first part of this story. At the beginning of the month the electric company was doing some work in our area at the same time I was trying to scan some paperwork onto my computer. We had 4 power outages and numerous surges, and at the end of it all our printer, which was already giving us problems for awhile, decided it had done its last work for us. I say this because it didn't stop working; it turns on and can even make copies. It just wouldn't work for US. It refused to print or scan anything.

My son had purchased this printer about 3 years ago during a Black Friday sale. My husband also went to a Black Friday sale at another store and purchased a printer the same day. Rather than return the printer, J decided to put it away in case we ever needed it. Now with our printer on strike, he proudly said we could use the printer he'd saved all these years. Great, I thought, this thing was taking up way too much space in our wall unit. It was finally going to be useful. I gave it to my computer literate son to install.

I should have known we'd have problems when R told me he'd had trouble connecting the printer to our computer because it was so old it didn't recognize Windows Vista. He managed to get it installed via some updates from HP, so I thought we were good to go. Oops, there was a problem. No ink cartridges. I know printers usually bring ink cartridges when first purchased, but this had been in our house for 3 years; maybe they'd gotten misplaced? Whatever, I thought, I'll just run over to Costco and get some. That's right, some. Turns out the printer required 6 ink cartridges in multiple colors, and wouldn't work unless all the cartridges were installed. (I was starting to not like this printer already). I purchased the cartridges at the tune of $120.89. Grrrr. Waaay to much money, but we needed a printer and this was what we had to work with. I'd get these put in and we'd be on our way. Or so I thought.

I put in the six cartridges and proceeded with the installation. It wouldn't print. I looked at the screen: Wrong Cartridges. What?!?! I'd bought the ones the manual said! What do mean they're wrong?! I went back to the manual and read the instructions again. That's when I came upon the part that said this printer required the special "introductory cartridges" that came in the box, and without those introductory cartridges installed first the printer would not work. I tore the wall unit apart looking all over for these cartridges but they were nowhere to be found. I asked J, who told me to ask R, who said he'd never even opened the package till he went to install the printer and there were no cartridges there. (I was starting to REALLY not like this printer). Time to call HP.

The three different customer service/technical folks I spoke to all said the same thing: the introductory cartridges should be in the box. It took a while to make them understand that we'd had this printer sitting around for the past 3 years and didn't have the box anymore. I couldn't take it back to the store because J didn't have the receipt nor the original packaging, and I couldn't get it to work without those cartridges. The techs were helpful, trying to find these necessary cartridges for us, but to no avail. This printer had last been manufactured in 2006 and there were no cartridges to be had anywhere. I looked all over the internet, but since these cartridges were never individually sold there were none on the market anywhere. Not only was I upset that we had this printer that was useless, but now I had $120.89 worth of cartridges that I'd already taken out of the package. (It was official - I now despised the printer). I decided to look for a new printer that would use these same cartridges, that way I would only be out a printer (that by the way cost my husband LESS than the cartridges). I did find several models that used the same cartridges, however the cheapest one cost $441 on amazon.com. It seemed hopeless. I was angry at a printer that wouldn't respond to the ink even though they were technically the right ones, and I was angry that I had basically lost $120.89 since I was sure Costco wouldn't take them back once I'd opened the package. Or would they?

This brings me to part 2 of the story. I buy quite a bit from Costco, and we have our American Express card with them. This means we get rebates at the end of the year for all our purchases, even gasoline. We could use our rebate money to get a new printer. I'd wanted the rebate money for a new vacuum cleaner, but the printer was more of a need. We also figured it wouldn't hurt to try and return the cartridges. I prayed as I drove to Costco in hopes they'd be kind and give us our money back, since the cartridges were opened but never used. Well, they did!!! I was praising God left and right for His goodness. It meant that we could still get the vacuum cleaner if the printer wasn't too expensive. Praise God once again, there was a printer/scanner/copier/fax machine on sale for $89.99! It allowed us to get the printer and the new Dyson DC14 vacuum cleaner, for only $45!! Am I thankful?! You better believe it!

God was so gracious in providing for us. This may seem like something insignificant to some people, God giving us a printer and a vacuum cleaner. But you know what? God doesn't just want to part the Red Sea for us. He wants to bless us in big ways and in little ways. He knew our budget, and He knew our needs, so He made it possible to get what we needed at a price we could afford. That's the kind of thing a loving God can do.

Thankful Thursdays is hosted by Iris at Grace Alone this month. Be blessed, and be thankful.

Thankful Thursdays

It's a special Thursday, because I'm leaving this afternoon to spend the weekend with my daughter in Central Florida! Yay!! She's in her junior year of college. I miss her so much. Getting to spend a few days with her is precious. I'm not looking forward to the drive; I hate driving, and only do it because I have to. But it's so worth it to be with my little girl.

What are you thankful for? Let us know at Women Taking a Stand. Have a blessed weekend.

Thankful Thursdays

Here's a doozy for ya: today, I'm thanking God for my weakness.

Yes, I know that's counter-cultural. Have you ever noticed how much in Scripture is? How the last will be first, and it's better to serve than to be served? That we should repay evil with good? God doesn't do things our way, and unfortunately we don't do things God's way. That's why we're always in such a mess.

When Paul complained to the Lord about his weaknesses, God answered, "My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9a). To be strong, we have to first be weak. I read this in Francis Chan's book Crazy Love, and this verse made great sense to me.

If life were stable, I'd never need God's help. Since it's not I reach out for Him regularly. I am thankful for the unknowns and that I don't have control, because it makes me run to God.

If I considered myself strong, would I seek God? Probably not. I'd become self-sufficient, turning to Him only for what I considered to be the "big ticket items" in my life and "taking care of" everything else on my own. What a disaster that would be! In realizing my weakness, I turn to Him more and more often, because I know I can't take care of anything on my own. "For when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10b). Not strong of my own strength, but strong in God's strength.

What are you thankful for today? Let us know at Women Taking a Stand. God bless.

Thankful Thursdays

It's Thankful Thursday, and I'm thankful for unexpected miracles. Those are the best kinds!



I went by my mother-in-law's house this past Tuesday to pick up the turkey for Christmas Eve dinner. She keeps it in her freezer and I pick it up so I can defrost and roast it. My daughter was with me as we went out to the Florida room where my mother-in-law keeps an extra freezer. My daughter is home from college for Christmas. She's very understanding; she knows money isn't abundant right now and because of plans we have for next year we had to keep a strict budget when it came to gifts. As I was pulling the turkey out of the freezer, I heard A say, "Hey, look at this!" From behind a table she pulled out a guitar. Now, A is very musical. She plays acoustic, electric and bass guitar, along with keyboard and anything else she can get her hands on, so when she got hold of the guitar it didn't surprise me. I figured it was one of the grandkids' toys, but she seemed very interested. She asked her cousin about it, and was told the guitar belonged to her grandfather but it was broken. "What's broken about it?" she asked, and was told the guitar didn't work because it was missing strings. My daughter immediately said she would take the guitar home and try to fix it. Now I was surprised; why was she so insistent on fixing this guitar?



Well, it turns out the guitar was something my father-in-law picked up at Goodwill for $50. It's an Ibanez acoustic/electric with a built-in tuner. All it needed was new strings and batteries for the tuner, plus a good cleaning. It's in immaculate condition and sounds beautiful. It's also worth 6 times what my father-in-law paid for it! My hubby told his dad he'd pay him for it since no one else in the house plays guitar, which made him very happy, and my daughter gets a $300 guitar for Christmas which made her very happy. God is so wonderful! It's Jesus' birthday, and we're the ones that get the gifts. We are so blessed.


This month Thankful Thursdays is hosted by Iris at Grace Alone. Have a blessed Christmas.

Thankful Thursdays

Here is a picture of our Christmas tree in our home:

And here is an even more beautiful picture of what a tree bore for us:

"Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed." - 1 Peter 2:24

I am thankful for Jesus, who left His precious home and came to us, to be born as a child, to live among us and experience our lives like us, and to die that we may live. No present under the tree is more valuable than that.

What are you thankful for? Join in thankfulness this month with Iris at Grace Alone. Have a blessed day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This week, at our pastor's suggestion, we made up a Thankful poster and wrote different things we're thankful for. Let me share what we've got so far:

I Am Thankful...

1) For my family.

2) For my new haircut (that was me :)).

3) For free turkeys.

4) For the food.

5) That my sister comes home (that was E).

6) For Jesus Christ.

7) For medicine that takes away headaches :(

8) For E making the A-B Honor roll!

9) For E getting 3 awards: honor roll, perfect attendance, an citizenship.

10) For not being stick in a car anymore :P (that was my daughter -it was a long 4 hour drive home).

I hope you can take the time to express thankfulness too. It's so refreshing to the soul to see our blessings and give thanks for them! Happy Thanksgiving!!

A Thankful Mama

This is my youngest son, winner of the Citizenship Award, Perfect Attendance Award, and the A-B Honor Roll Award (he got straight A's and B's). I cannot begin to express how thrilled and grateful to the Lord I am for my son's accomplishments. E has worked really hard this year and it has paid off. What a way for Thanksgiving Eve to begin!

Thankful Thursdays

It's exactly a week before Thanksgiving! What am I thankful for? And can I get it all in one post?

Let's see. I'm thankful:

1) My daughter will be home for Thanksgiving.
2) My hubby gets a free turkey from his job.
3) My hubby has a job.
4) This is the busiest time of the year for my hubby at his job as a supervisor for a food distribution company.
5) The weather seems to want to take a turn and give us cooler temperatures.
6) We're going to the Cub Scouts Thanksgiving feast tonight - we get to start being thankful early!
7) I've got at least 90% of my Christmas shopping done, and I've managed to get some really great deals by searching out sales. Woot!
8) I got a $25 Amazon gift certificate for some surveys I did online which helped pay for my hubby's Christmas present.
9) For my family.
10)Most of all, I'm thankful for my Savior. None of this stuff would matter if I didn't have Jesus. None of it is worth more than the love of my Lord.

What are you thankful for today? Why not share it at Women Taking a Stand? Have a blessed rest of your week.

Thankful Thursdays

Today I want to share a poem I read in my devotions that came at just the right time, and I'm thankful that God provides these words at just the right time. This poem is by Amy Carmichael. Enjoy.

Our Father knows what's best for us, so why should we complain?
We always want the sunshine, but He knows there must be rain.
We love the sound of laughter and the merriment of cheer,
But our hearts would lose their tenderness if we never shed a tear.
For growing trees are strengthened when they withstand the storm,
And the sharp cut of the chisel gives the diamond grace and form.
God never hurts us needlessly, and He never wastes our pain,
For every loss He sends to us is followed by rich gain.
And when we count the blessings that God so freely sent,
We'll find no cause for murmuring, and no time to lament.
For our Father loves His children, and to Him all things are plain,
So He never sends us pleasure when the soul's deep need is pain.
So Whenever we are troubled, and when everything goes wrong,
We know God's working in our hearts, to make our spirit strong.

This month Thankful Thursdays is hosted by Lynn at Spiritually Unequal Marriage. Have a great day.

Thankful Thursdays

Today I'm rejoicing for the families in Chile who saw their loved ones come out of the mine alive and safe. I cannot imagine the last 70 days for them. First, not knowing if the miners were even alive, and then wondering if the rescue efforts would work or if they were never going to get out. The joy and relief in their faces said it all. God was there with them the whole time. My prayer is that He be glorified in this, and that those who don't know Jesus will seek Him at this time, realizing how fleeting life can be and how desperately we all need a Savior. Nothing happens by chance; I hope they all see this and reach out to Him.



Thankful Thursdays is hosted this month by Lynn at Spiritually Unequal Marriage. Have a blessed rest of your week.

Thankful Thursdays

It's a cool, crisp day! This morning it was 69 degrees out, and for South Florida, that's cold!! I'm so very thankful that the weather has cooled off. I know for many, 69 degrees is far from cool, but for South Floridians it's important in more ways than just enjoying nicer temperatures or being rid of humidity. We live in hurricane country, and hurricanes love the warmth of the South. The warmer the weather stays, the better chance of hurricanes forming and gaining strength. By the same token, the colder it gets, the faster the waters cool off and the less likelihood of a hurricane getting too strong or even coming our way. Subtropical storm Otto is out in the ocean, but thanks to these wonderful breezes it looks like he's gonna stay out there, and that is such a blessing and something to be very, very thankful for!

This month, Thankful Thursdays is hosted by Lynn at Spiritually Unequal Marriage. I pray you all have a blessed day.